Adriano Gigante’s historic Friulano vineyard

From a vineyard planted in the 1950s with (Tocai) Friulano, Adriano Gigante makes his Friulano Vigneto Storico, a wine that has proven its worth even in bottles more than 20 years old.

Lovers of Friulian white wine always appreciate the variety that until a few years ago was called Tocai Friulano and now simply Friulano. And among those that stand out almost every year are Adriano Gigante's Friulanos.

With the '99 vintage Adriano began selecting grapes that came from a vineyard of almost one hectare, with planting from the early 1950s, and produced a wine he called Storico, with the variety only on the back label (which was then the legal label). Unfortunately, there had long been a grappa identified with that term on the market, and Adriano is forced with the 2001 vintage to name his wine Tocai Friulano Vigneto Storico. With 2007 the name Tocai disappears from Italian labels, and in Friuli they choose to call the variety, of French origin, simply Friulano (in Veneto it becomes Tai, in Slovenia Sauvignonasse).

In late June, after numerous postponements due to Covid, we were invited to a vertical tasting of Gigante's wine. Remarkable was the surprise, especially taking into account that these wines had not been made to evolve so many years.

I start with the Friulano Vigneto Storico 2017: grown with evolution, it has become intense, complex, harmonious, with absolute freshness of taste. Even 2014 (a year without sunshine from June to September) would win over 90 points, although there are many reservations about typicality.

I will just mention the vintages above 94 points: 2013, 2011, touching 94 points is 2010, another year to forget because of the rainfall at harvest time that thwarted a season that seemed good. The 2008 and 2007 vintages were excellent. In 2006, a very hot and dry year almost like the one we just had, it is the Friulano that prevails over the Vigneto Storico. 

The 2005 is a bomb: fresh, harmonious, elegant, fat, very long. Despite the heat, the 2003 Tocai Friulano Vigneto Storico also did well. Still excellent is the 2000, first to be awarded the 3 Bicchieri by Gambero Rosso. Finally, the 1996 Tocai Friulano still proves to be a remarkable wine.

Adriano Gigante
FCO Friulano Vigneto Storico 2017

93/100 - € 19,00

100% Friulano, proveniente da un vigneto di quasi 80 anni. Acciaio sui lieviti. Giallo paglierino. Complesso al naso, con sentori intensi di mandorla, pesca e pera. Bocca generosa, piena, grassa, intensamente fruttata e ben accompagnata dalla gradevole nota acida.

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